We independently change the timing chain damper on the VAZ 2106

If the owner of a VAZ 2106 suddenly begins to hear a strange grinding sound from under the hood while driving, then this does not bode well. There are many reasons for the strange sounds, but most likely the problem is in the worn out timing chain damper. Let's figure out whether it is possible to change this device with our own hands and what is needed for this.

Appointment of the timing chain damper on the VAZ 2106

The purpose of the timing chain damper is easy to guess from its name. The purpose of this device is to prevent the timing chain from wobbling too much, since the timing chain can fly off the guide sprockets with strong vibrations. The second option is also possible: the chain, thoroughly loosening without a damper, will simply break.

If the damper does not restrain the timing chain vibrations, the chain will inevitably break.

As a rule, an open timing chain occurs when the crankshaft speed reaches its maximum values. In such a situation, the driver simply does not have time to react to an open circuit and turn off the engine in time. Everything happens instantly. As a result, the valves and pistons of the motor are damaged, and it is far from always possible to eliminate such damage.

After the timing chain is broken, the valves are the first to suffer. It is not always possible to restore them.

Sometimes things get so bad that it's easier to buy a new car than to bother with restoring an old one. It is for this reason that the condition of the timing chain damper must be carefully monitored.

Timing chain damper device

The timing chain damper is a metal plate made of high strength steel. The plate has a pair of lugs with bolt holes.

Chain dampers on the "classic" are always made of high-strength steel and can serve for years

Next to the damper is the second part of this system - the tensioner shoe. It is a curved plate that directly contacts the timing chain. To prevent premature wear, the shoe surface is covered with a wear-resistant polymer material.

The second part of the timing chain damping system is the tensioner shoe. Without it, the chain damper will not work.

The chain damper is located on the right side of the engine, under the cover of the gas distribution mechanism, between the sprockets of the crankshaft and the timing shaft. Therefore, to replace the damper, the car owner will have to remove the timing cover and slightly loosen the chain.

The principle of operation of the timing chain damper

As soon as the owner of the VAZ 2106 starts the engine of his car, the crankshaft and timing shaft begin to rotate. However, these shafts do not always start rotating at the same time. The sprockets of the shafts are connected by a timing chain, which over time begins to sag slightly due to natural wear. In addition, the teeth on the sprockets of the shafts also wear out over time, which only increases the sagging.

Due to wear of the teeth on the timing sprocket, the chain sags more, and in the end it may break

As a result, a situation arises when the crankshaft has already managed to turn a quarter of a turn, and the timing shaft has just begun to rotate. In such a situation, the sag of the timing chain increases sharply, and a hydraulic tensioner is connected to work to eliminate this sag.

On one side there is a tensioner shoe, and on the other, a damper, which is the second part of the dampening system

Its shoe is bolted to an oil fitting, which, in turn, is connected to an oil line with an oil pressure sensor. As soon as the chain sags, the sensor detects a sharp decrease in oil pressure in the line, after which an additional portion of lubricant is supplied to the line. Under its pressure, the tension shoe extends and presses on the timing chain, thereby compensating for the resulting sagging.

All this happens very abruptly, and as a result, the timing chain begins to oscillate strongly, and not from the side of the tension shoe (the chain is securely pressed there), but on the opposite side. To dampen these vibrations, another device is used - a timing chain damper. Unlike the tensioner shoe, there are no moving parts in the damper. In fact, this is a high-strength steel plate, against which the timing chain beats after it is pressed down by the tension shoe. But if there is no damper in this system, the teeth of the shafts and the timing chain will wear out much faster, which will inevitably lead to a complete failure of the motor.

Timing chain guide wear signs

There are a number of very specific signs, upon the appearance of which the owner of the VAZ 2106 should be wary. Here they are:

• loud bangs from under the hood immediately after starting the engine. They are most audible when the engine is cold. But in general, the volume of these beats directly depends on the degree of sagging of the timing chain: the more the chain looses, the less the damper acts on it, and the louder the beats will be;
• power dips that occur immediately after starting a ride. This is due to wear on the damper. Wear leads to asynchronous rotation of the timing shaft and the crankshaft, which leads to cylinder malfunction. These failures are the cause of noticeable power drops and poor response of the car to pressing the gas pedal.

Reasons for breakdown of the damper

The timing chain damper, like any other engine part, can fail. Here are the main reasons why this happens:

• fastener loosening. The chain guide works under very dynamic alternating loads: the chain constantly hits it. As a result, the bolts on which the damper rests begin to slowly weaken, the damper begins to hang out more and more, and at the next blow of the chain, the fixing bolts simply break;
  

  Mounting bolts on the timing guide can loosen and break over time
• fatigue failure. As mentioned above, the damper plate is subjected to serious shock loads. These are ideal conditions for metal fatigue failure. At some point, a microcrack appears on the surface of the damper, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. This crack may remain stable for years, but one day, when the chain hits the damper again, it begins to spread, and the speed of its propagation in the metal exceeds the speed of sound. As a result, the damper instantly breaks down, and the VAZ 2106 engine instantly jams.
  

  Timing chain guide broken due to internal fatigue stresses

Replacing the timing chain damper on a VAZ 2106

Before describing the sequence of replacing the timing chain damper on a VAZ 2106, let's decide on consumables and tools. Here's what we need to get started:

• set of spanner keys;
• set of open-end wrenches;
• flat screwdriver;
• a piece of steel wire with a diameter of 2 mm and a length of 30 cm;
• a new timing chain damper for the VAZ 2106 (at the moment its cost is about 400 rubles).

Sequence of operations

It should be noted right away that before starting work with the damper, the driver will have to remove the VAZ 2106 air filter, which is held on by four mounting bolts. They are unscrewed with a 12-mm open-end wrench. Without this preliminary operation, the pacifier cannot be reached.

1. After removing the filter, access to the cylinder head is opened. It is closed with a lid, which must be removed (it is most convenient to do this using a 14 socket head with a ratchet wrench).
2. Opens access to the timing chain tensioner. It is attached to the timing case with a cap nut, which should be loosened with a ring wrench by 13.
   

   It is most convenient to loosen the timing cap nut with a spanner wrench of 13
3. Using a flat-bladed screwdriver, carefully pry out the tensioner shoe.
   

   The screwdriver used to depress the timing shoe must be long, but thin
4. Now, while holding the shoe in the pressed state, it is necessary to tighten the previously loosened cap nut on the tensioner.
5. A small hook should be made from a piece of steel wire. This hook hooks onto the top lug on the timing chain guide.
   

   The wire hook hooks neatly into the top eye of the damper
6. Now a couple of fixing bolts of the damper are unscrewed (when unscrewing these bolts, the damper should be held with a hook so that it does not fall into the motor).
   

   There are only two fixing bolts on the damper, but reaching them with a key is not so easy.
7. After removing the mounting bolts, it is necessary to rotate the timing shaft clockwise using a spanner wrench. When the shaft has made about a quarter of a turn, carefully pull the worn damper out of the engine with a wire hook.
   

   To remove the timing chain guide, the timing shaft will have to be turned with a quarter turn wrench.
8. The old damper is replaced with a new one, after which the timing system is reassembled.

Video: change the timing chain damper on the "classic"

Replacing the chain damper VAZ-2101-07

So, replacing the timing chain damper on a VAZ 2106 is not a difficult task. Even a novice car enthusiast can do without the help of a qualified auto mechanic, and thus save up to 900 rubles. This is the average cost of replacing a damper in a car service.